Start your engines! KidsCan Pork Pie Charity Run

Sixty minis will line up in Kaitaia this Easter, on Good
Friday, at the start of an epic 2,500 km journey to
Invercargill. It will take the teams six long days to reach
their destination, following the route taken in the classic
Kiwi movie “Goodbye Pork Pie.” A fighting spirit, a good
dose of Kiwi ingenuity and a comprehensive tool box will be
key to going the distance.

Intrepid drivers from all over
New Zealand, Australia and the UK will be at the wheel, with
some cars dating back to the 1960s. Two Warkworth brothers
are driving a “stretch limo” Mini Clubman, and targeting
well known Kiwis for selfies in the back.

Canterbury’s
Gavin and Teresa Agnew - ‘The A Team’ - are taking part
for a fifth time. Gavin says many teams are ‘repeat
offenders’, drawn back by wonderful people and their
shared love of the little car. “The classics are
uncomfortable, they’re noisy, they’re not very powerful,
but they’re fun to drive,” he says. “They turn corners
like they’re on rails, and the character of it just puts a
smile on your face.”

The biennial event began in 2009.
KidsCan has been chosen as the events charity partner for
the third year running. 2017’s run raised more than
$220,000, providing children living in hardship with food,
raincoats, shoes and health items, so nothing stops them
from learning.

The charity’s founder and CEO, Julie
Chapman, will be driving the final leg for Team KidsCan.
“We’re so proud to be the recipient of this fantastic
event again,” she says. “To all the wonderfully
passionate drivers and their amazing donors - thank you.
Your support means we can give kids the hand up they
deserve.”

Gavin Agnew says it’s great to have so much
fun while helping kids in hardship. As a teacher, he sees
the impact of poverty. “No raincoat, bare feet. I’ve
seen a block of dried noodles for lunch. These kids come to
school freezing cold, or they stay home, so they’re
missing out on their education. It adds up, and those kids
start slipping behind. It’s not the kids’ fault.
They’re just the ones who are caught up in the
consequences.”

En route, the Minis will visit
Hamilton’s Classics Museum, cruise through Horopito Motor
Wreckers - Smash Palace, and test their wee engines with
laps of Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell. The event
takes place from the 19th - 24th April. A full itinerary is
attached.

Scoop Citizen Members and ScoopPro Organisations are the lifeblood of Scoop.

20 years of independent publishing is a milestone, but your support is essential to keep Scoop thriving. We are building on our offering with new In-depth Engaged Journalism platform - thedig.nz.
Find out more and join us:

The focus of Labour’s alleged sexual assault scandal has now shifted from the party organisation to the Beehive... This is now a crisis of Beehive management and response, not something occurring at a distance within the party organisation.

Presumably, the QC appointed to clarify what happened will eventually shed light on key issues. Such as: on what date prior to the publication of the original Spinoff article did the party hierarchy/PM’s office/PM’s press secretary realise they were dealing with a sexual assault allegation, and what did they do about it at that point? More>>

ALSO:

An official pardon for Tūhoe prophet and leader Rua Kēnana is one step closer after the Te Pire kia Unuhia te Hara kai Runga i a Rua Kēnana: Rua Kēnana Pardon Bill was read in Parliament for the first time today. More>>

“We have listened carefully to the growing calls from New Zealanders to know more about our own history and identity. With this in mind it makes sense for the National Curriculum to make clear the expectation that our history is part of the local curriculum and marau ā kura in every school and kura,” Jacinda Ardern said. More>>

Jacinda Ardern: “This morning I was provided some of the correspondence from complainants written to the party several months ago. It confirms that the allegations made were extremely serious, that the process caused complainants additional distress, and that ultimately, in my view, the party was never equipped to appropriately deal with the issue…" More>>

A recent trip to China has raised questions over who the Opposition leader Simon Bridges met with and why... Anne-Marie Brady, a Canterbury University professor and expert on Chinese politics, has described Guo Shengkun as the leader of the Chinese secret police. More>>

Torture is a crime under international law. New Zealand has signed (a) the UN convention against torture and (b) formal agreements about how armed conflict should be conducted. That’s the legal backdrop to the fascinating report released this week by the SIS Inspector-General.